Party Time
by E. Clay
Summary: Sam's trying to get ready for his party but Dean's being annoying and John's being unreasonable.


**Title: **Party Time

**Genre: **General/Angst, Fluff, Brotherly love, lots of dialogue

**Summary: **Sam's trying to get ready for his party but Dean's being annoying and John's being unreasonable.

**Rating: **K+

**Timeline: **I put it around Sam's eighteenth birthday.

**Disclaimer: **Nope, don't own Sam, Dean or John Winchester. Don't own the universe they inhabit either. Not making any money from this story. It's just for fun. Characters and Universe belong to Eric Kripke and The CW network.

Sam continued vacuuming the small two bedroom home that he, his brother, and father had been sharing for the last couple of years. He headed into the living room and started in on the area around their small coffee table and worn sofa. He stopped at two feet firmly planted on the carpet.

"Dean. You mind moving your feet so I can get that spot?"

"What?" Dean screamed over the sound of the vacuum.

Sam sighed. His brother had heard him just fine. He turned off the vacuum. "At least put your feet up on the coffee table or something."

"What, and get yelled by dad? No way."

"Uh, Dad's not here Dean." Sam pointed out with irritation. "You know it wouldn't kill you to get up off your ass and help me clean this place."

"Sure it would. I'm looking at this hunting catalog. Besides you're the one who wanted to throw the girlie dinner party. You clean the house."

"That's what I've been doing for the last hour."

"Yeah, well keep up the good work. I'm not moving."

"Fine." Sam grabbed the catalog his brother was looking at and threw it straight across the room.

"What the hell?" Dean protested standing up. He shoved Sam and chased after his catalog.

Sam smiled and vacuumed the spot his brother's feet had been occupying. He headed into the dining room but the vacuum went silent. He turned around and glared at Dean. Dean had the cord in his hand and was laughing.

"You think you could act your age for just once Dean?" Sam scolded. He marched back to Dean and grabbed the cord from him. Dean took it right back.

"I'll let you finish being Little Miss Susie Homemaker in a minute, but first tell me about this announcement you're making tonight."

"No."

"No?"

"You'll find out when everyone else does."

"Come on man. I'm your brother. That allows me advance knowledge in these things."

Sam smiled. It was amazing to him that he had been able to keep this secret from Dean for as long as he had, his father too. He couldn't wait to see the proud looks on their faces. He had really worked hard. He was finally going to do something he felt as passionate about as his family did about hunting. How could they not be happy for him? He had gotten into a damn fine University, and it wasn't going to cost his father a cent, maybe his father would finally find something to be pleased about in his youngest.

"Are you getting married?"

"Huh?" Dean's question yanked Sam out of his thoughts.

"Is that your big announcement?"

"Dean. I'm seventeen-years old."

"Ok. God you aren't pregnant are you?"

"You got me. The baby is due next month." Sam grinned. He grabbed what he could of his belly, but there wasn't much.

"You're a real smart ass you know that?" Dean complained.

"Well what was I supposed to say to that? Huh?"

"What I meant is you didn't go and knock some girl up did you?"

"Of course not!"

"Good because I'm too young to be an uncle."

"Right, and I'm not at all too young to be a father?"

"Ok, just work with me here a little. I'm trying to get through the worst case scenarios. You aren't coming out of the closet are you? I mean I can deal with that if you are it's just that…"

"I'm not gay Dean. Now would you just shut up?"

"You didn't join the military did you? You weren't supposed to do that by yourself. I thought we had agreed that if one of us joined we would go together." Dean said a little frantic.

"I didn't join the military. Who needs that when we've got dad."

"Then what? Come on man. You've gotta tell me what it is. It's killing me." Dean said dramatically. He threw his arms up in exasperation and threw Sam a pleading look.

"No."

"Sam."

"No!"

"Ok. Ok. I tried to be nice. I'm taking my big brother rights." Dean grabbed Sam's arms from behind and locked his brother's legs with his own. "Now tell me."

"Ow. I'm not telling you." Sam tried to free himself but couldn't. He was taller than Dean but thinner and less muscular.

"Sammy."

"Let go of me."

"When you tell me what I need to know." Dean tightened the hold he had on Sam's arms.

"Dean, stop tormenting your brother." The voice of John Winchester called from the front door.

Dean let go of Sam and ruffled his brother's too long hair just to annoy him. Sam slapped his hand away, both boys turned to their father.

"Why are you two fighting?" John asked coldly. He closed the door behind him, tossed two plastic bags onto the couch, and crossed his arms. He stared at his two children.

"We weren't." Dean said quietly.

"Sam?" John turned to his youngest.

"We weren't. Dean's just being a jerk. I wish he could leave me alone for an hour. Hell, I would take half an hour. I just want some peace. My party starts in less than three hours and I still have a lot to do. Dad, can you please just tell him to leave me alone?"

"Man Sammy, I'm not letting you do anymore housework. It makes you all pissy." Dean grumbled.

"Ok that's enough you two. Sam you want Dean to leave for a bit? I was going to send him shopping anyway. Sound good to you Dean?"

"Yeah I guess. What am I buying? We're all stocked up on ammo." Dean sighed.

"Go buy something nice to wear to your brother's party tonight." John handed Dean a wad of twenties.

"What's wrong with what I have on?"

"Nothing, you're in hunting appropriate attire. It's your brother's birthday party though. It wouldn't kill you to dress differently for once. I went shopping, found some nice things too."

Yeah, ok." Dean looked at Sam who smirked at him.

"I gave you cash Dean, not one of our credit cards. Don't waste it."

"I won't." Dean promised. He headed to the door.

"And Dean."

"Yeah dad?"

"I don't want to see you coming home with any jeans, t-shirts, or tennis shoes. Got it?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good." John turned to Sam. "Sam we need to work on getting out of that hold Dean had you in. Whenever you two spar he always gets you with it. When someone comes up behind you like this." John grabbed Sam's arms from behind. "You move your elbows up, step to the side, turn, and grab."

"Dad I don't have time for this. I still have a lot to do." Sam complained.

"Good you'll master the move then. You want to finish getting ready for your party you'll learn to counter this position."

"Have fun Sammy." Dean laughed on his way out the door.

"Go screw yourself." Sam yelled back trying to move his elbows.

"Don't talk to your brother like that." John warned.

Dean stopped in the doorway for a moment. He watched Sam get more and more flustered by the moment in one failed attempt after the other to get out of the hold John had him in. Dean loved his father. He idolized him even, but sometimes he could be a hard-nosed bastard and push too hard. Dean could see unshed tears in his little brother's eyes. He was getting tired and frustrated. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to benefit from this exercise. He had more normal things going through his head.

Dean shook his head and almost ignored the nagging feeling growing in him. Their father loved them both and would never do anything he thought wasn't good for his sons, but John didn't understand Sam's temperament, or if he did, he didn't accept it. Sam didn't learn anything by force. Dean had gotten Sam to tell him things by use of said force, but when it came to learning, Sam failed miserably. Dean wished John could understand that and back off, when instead he kept grabbing onto Sam all the more tighter. His preferred method of teaching his children how to fight, being the more uncomfortable you are in a hold, the more motivation you have to free yourself.

Dean walked up to his father and pulled his arms off of Sam. He stepped in front of Sam and looked at their father. "Dad you know I could work with Sam on this move. I promise he'll have it down by the end of the weekend. We should let him finish getting ready for his dinner party." Dean snorted, "Dinner party. You know it sounds stupider every time I say it." He paused, expecting a rebuttal from Sam or a reprimand from John, for breaking up his teaching, but the only thing he got was a soft whisper of thanks from Sam and silence from his father.

John looked at Dean. He considered his proposition for a moment. He wasn't thrilled with Dean interrupting his lesson but a look at Sam who stepped out from behind Dean told him that Dean had been in the right here. Sam's face was all red and his eyes were glossy. John hadn't meant to upset either one of his sons, but apparently Sam was having a touchy day.

John looked at Dean again. His oldest was in full big brother mode. The only time Dean ever disobeyed John was when it came to matters regarding Sam. If John pushed the lesson on Sam anymore, Dean wouldn't flat out fight his father over it, instead it would be an endless array of distractions, until Dean got what he wanted. John took a deep breath. He wasn't in the mood for any of Dean's high jinks. He stared at his sons. Things had been so much simpler when they were smaller and could be subdued by looks alone.

"Yeah, fine. Dean you can teach Sam how to get out of that hold. I'll test you on Sunday night Sam. So you best pay attention to Dean's instructions. You don't sleep until I've seen you've mastered that move. Got it?" John finished sternly, refusing to give up anymore control over the matter.

"Yes Sir." Sam said softly.

"Good." John grabbed the plastic bags he had thrown on the couch and walked into his room.

"You ok?" Dean asked Sam as soon as he heard their father's bedroom door close. He looked at Sam for a long time.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sam said holding back tears. He rubbed his arms which were all red from being grabbed. He took a deep breath. He really didn't want to cry in front of Dean. He was frustrated, angry and tired though. He turned his head away from his brother. He was ashamed at himself for getting upset. He waited for Dean to tease him about acting like a chick.

"You're a lousy liar you know that?" Dean observed. He stood still for a moment. He didn't know if he could handle Sam bursting into tears. It wasn't because he found his brother's crying to be annoying or lame, but because it hurt him.

Dean put his arms around Sam and pulled him into a hug.

"What are you doing?" Sam sniffled resisting the embrace.

"Being an awesome brother, so shut up and let me do my thing, or I'll hit you and really make you cry."

"Sure you will." Sam laughed softly. He relaxed and put his arms around Dean.

"All better?" Dean asked a few moments later.

"Yeah." Sam smiled and really he did feel better. The gesture was simple but had been effective. Sam couldn't remember the last time Dean had hugged him. It was probably years ago when they were still children and their father told them to hug and shake hands to make up after a fight.

"Good, 'cause I don't know how much more of this loving and caring crap I can take." Dean broke apart from the hug. He patted Sam on the shoulder and headed out the door.

"Hey Dean?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks?"

"Don't mention it, and the place better be freakin' sparkling when I get back or else." Dean warned. He pointed a finger at Sam and headed out the door.

"You're a freak. You know that?" Sam rolled his eyes. He slammed the door in Dean's face. "Bye."

"Oh you are so going to pay for that little brother." Dean went to open the door but Sam had double bolted it. "Ha, that's my boy." Dean said to himself. He stepped into his car and drove off happily, not being able to ever imagine the three of them being apart.

**The End**

Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I wrote this months ago. It was originally the first chapter in a longer story, but that story never quite developed. I think the chapter works well as a oneshot though. Let me know what you think.


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